Sunday, 28 February 2010

Thanks to Joseph a student that have the only computer and internet acces in the small village that they stay. He was so kind to help Gerald to send these photos and the text for us. Nobody else could not have any connection today, even the cell phones are not working well...

South of Addis is far more affluent. Firstly, it is the road that leads to Ethiopia's only port, Djibouti. Ethiopia is landlocked since it splitted from Erithrea. As you can imagine, the 80 km stretch of road we had to use for heading south was extremely busy and dangerous. We convoyed some of it and survived the rest. At km 82, we finally left that main road and turned into a secondary road heading for the lake region. It was a relief...

Normally rest days have been good for me and I have been so much stronger after them, but this time, it worked against me. I got weaker on my rest day in Addis and I was really not feeling well on our departure from Addis. As a matter of fact I was sick and getting worst. Fever, very nasty diarrhea and a general feeling of being weak. On a positive note, it was an easy day with only 100km of cycling and we were heading down as well which would mean more oxygen and a warmer climate. The first two hours of cycling are always hell when you are sick, but eventually your body starts to produce its own chemicals helping you fighting the pain and the bug. I have often noticed how you must go through those first two hours, trying to ignore your body's desperate warnings telling you to stop or you gonna die, but if you keep a reasonable pace and manage to raise your heart rate slowly over that time, there is a point at which you start recovering. Eventually later during the ride, I felt so good that I even managed to get off my bike and chase three stone throwing kids into the bush for over a kilometer.

Camp was along lake KOKA, a old volcano crater, like all the lakes in the region surrounded by very scenic old volcano peaks. The region is very busy, clearly the result of very fertile soils and good rains. I read that this region actually benefits of two rain seasons, what a blessing for crops!

Cycling over the past two days has been a lot easier than what we have gone through in Northern Ethiopia. It is a lot flatter here, relatively speaking of course, and we are already some 800 m lower than Addis which means we have already lost 1500 meter altitude since we peaked at 3100 meters a few days ago. By now, our high altitude trained lungs love it here! Vegetation is also getting so much more diverse with all kind of exotic trees and plants now bordering the roads. Birds also seem to be plentiful and colourful. All in all, I must say, I am really starting to enjoy Ethiopia now. I have managed to get rid of the diarrhea, I am getting stronger again on the bike, today I did the 120 km ride in less than 4 hours and it is so exotic here. By now, we are more experienced with the kids along the roads and we manage to reduce the amount of incidents with aggressions and it suddenly all comes together, what a beautiful country! Ethiopia does not come easy, but it is an amazing place and it will leave a very special place in my heart.

A few days later… further south as we approach the Kenyan border and have had no access to internet or even cell phone coverage….

Just as we thought that we were finished with the climbs, we got reminded the hard way that Ethiopia is NOT a flat country... The first two hundred kilometers south of Addis gave us wrong hopes. Some more mountain chains suddenly popped up in the horizon and we were back at climbing.... Climbing and more climbing. We climbed back at well over 2500 meter altitude. These mountains are now very different, they are so lush, you can see that we are now in a tropical climate. The vegetation has changed to thick green and we have entered the region of Sidamo which produces some of the world's finest coffee beans. It is even more populated as it sustains more people and offers more agricultural jobs, from banana to mango, pineapple and coffee, just anything grows here. For us it means the roads are absolutely beautiful, but also even more dense than previously, hard to imagine, but true... Some of these small towns are so busy, they are a real challenge to get through without being overrun by a truck, a taxi, a tuk tuk, some running goats, stubborn donkeys, and people, so many people. As we make our way south along these Ethiopian roads, one thing does not change, the continuous "You You You!" "WHERE ARE YOU GO?" "Gimme the money" We hear this thousands and thousands of times each day. It is a mental relief when one says something else, like "What is your name," You try to answer of course, but it is just impossible to answer thousands and thousands of children all day long. It is mentally really tiring as well, and as you can imagine, we are not that fresh physically either... They run next to you and can become quite aggressive verbally if you don't give them an answer. That is often the point when some decide to stone us, so communicating with them helps reducing the amount of physical attacks, but it is not bulletproof and we do get everyday a few bastards who hit us straight even before we have a chance to talk to them. By now, we are getting good at identifying them, they are usually in small groups and you see them bending down to pick stones as we get close to them. The best is then to scream loud at them while pointing with our arm and accelerating towards them to pretend chasing them. It usually works well, resulting in them running into the bushes like a flock of bird flying apart. So it takes a lot of efforts to ride through Ethiopian roads, it is not just the climbs, but the amount of attention you have to pay at people, kids and traffic all adds up. As I am writing this, we only have 3 more riding days left in Ethiopia and many riders cannot wait to leave the country. My feelings are mixed, I am also looking forward to get into Kenya, but I have enjoyed Ethiopia. It is really not an easy country, probably the most difficult country I have ever visited, but it has also given me a lot. It is so different and so beautiful, but it faces enormous challenges ahead. One rider today went through one small town and as he couldn't take it any more, he just screamed "Stop making children" I would like to add "and start educating the rest"...

We also meet thousand of nice kids along the road, they run next to us just for fun, some ask for money, but most just want to have some fun and chase us bare foot uphills... Some are so fit they manage to hang over a kilometer. Where I find Ethiopia difficult is in the complete lack of privacy it leaves you with. You cannot stop anywhere without being crowed by people within seconds. People here have no understanding of what the word privacy might mean. They gather around you, kids and adults and touch you, stair at you and follow you like you were the messie. It is hard to cope with that for 3 weeks when the only piece of privacy is your tent and even so, they still shout at you when they can't see you. Last night, some of the local village teenagers were getting pretty aggressive and starting shouting "Fuck you white man" for quite some time.Our camps are always guarded by armed guards and a rope limits the physical area of the camp, so each night, it has been the same scenario, hundreds of people gather around the rope and the "you you you" from the kids continues.... I am really glad I have my ipod, that is the only way you can disconnect from this crazy world and relax mentally.

One of Ethiopia's big challenge for us cycling this country at an infernal pace is not to fall sick. Well, that is just impossible. Everybody got sick. We have all been washing our hands religiously before eating anything, we have also been careful with what we eat and so on, but everything here is so dirty that there is no way to avoid it, we all got sick. Start with the money, the euro bills, they are filthy, and we have to deal with that all the time. The Birr can be given the title of the dirtiest currency in the world without hesitation. It also perfumes your wallet with an horrible smell of rot. Ethiopian money probably carries more bugs on it than an average European dustbin. Actually, the Birr are so dirty that some bills are just black or dark brown. only the size tells you what bill it is.

Then of course, everything else is so far away from the hygiene standards we are used to at home that it is impossible to stay healthy. Diarrhea and stomach problems in general are unavoidable. So many people have had to ride the truck simply because of such problems. An average day of cycling in Ethiopia is 6 to 8 hours long and includes well over a 1000 meter of climbing, actually we have climbed well over 2000 meters on several occasions. Now, doing this with a strong diarrhea is hell. You are weak, feverish and of course dehydrating. Usually the running stomach cuts your appetite so it means energy does not replenish your muscles and you feel powerless. You also feel cold and dream of a warm bed.... My worst day was when we had to go over the 3100 meter level. Even now, with some time having passed, I still think it was hell.

Usually at breakfast you quickly see who are the latest stomach bug victims, as they already look miserable and tired at the porridge queue... The non EFI' ers usually insist no further and get on the truck but for the few EFI left (we are now 10) there is no alternative, if you are serious about staying EFI, then you have to face it, it is going to be a very unpleasant day, but a day on your bicycle...

To add some more spices, we have also had rain over the last couple of days. After realizing how miserable camping can turn when it rains an entire night at an altitude of 2600 meters, I told Paul the race director that it felt like playing a video game. Each new level just gets harder with new difficulties being thrown in. Today it was the rain. I had never packed my tent under pouring rain; normally you wait for the skies to clear and you let the tent dry a bit, but at TDA, you pack your tent every morning between 6h30 and 7h00 am raining or not raining, because at 7h30 you are on your bike riding south....

Unfortunately that evening at our next camp, it also rained, so it meant sleeping in wet cold tents for most of us. Rain also brought its share of falls especially within the guys racing. Nothing serious, but from here on, every injury, even skin injury will be long to heal as we are now entering tropical areas. So you might not brake a bone, but you are opening the doors to infections that will be slow to fix. The older riders have had a more mature approach to this and have seriously slowed down especially on the downhils over the few rainy days. Over 12000 km the time you gain for racing downhill is so insignificant, but the impact of a crash can be devastating for the remain of the tour. Talking of the remaining part of the tour, we passed the one third mark this week and are now focussing on the midway point which will be Nairobi, 2 weeks from now.

With only 2 days left in Ethiopia, it is time to start wrapping up some thoughts about this country. Well, we saw Ethiopia like very few westerners get to see it, sweating each hill, or should I say "mountain" rather. We saw it at human speed, having a chance to interact with its population. I have met in the past 3 weeks more children that I have in my entire life, and I don't even have to think about that statement, it is true! I have met some of the most beautiful and some of the most brutal kids ever, I have seen misery and hope minutes apart. I have had days when I ranked this country at the bottom of my list and others when I saw a glimpse of hope, but I can only admit that Ethiopia is facing an enormous challenge with a fast growing generation of children completely lacking parental education and basic rules. I often felt that I was doing the job of Ethiopian parents when chasing some kids that had attacked us in front of the annoyingly unresponsive adults who just watch and smile politely. There is also this very disturbing vision that Ethiopian youth has about us the "rich whites" which is to see us as donors. Donations of pens, donors of money, donors of T- Shirts, whatever, it has been from north to south the exact same thing everywhere. Ethiopian politicians and head of state have a big task ahead and I am not sure honestly if they are up to it. Some alarming signs of corruption and lack of democracy are just about everywhere. Lastly, I would like to remind you that our Ethiopian friends will not be able to read these lines blogspot.com has been blocked by the Ethiopian authorities since other people have also expressed their concern about the lack of ability of the present government. Well, if these authorities could use these time and efforts to improve internet speed and distribution across the country rather than spending time banning blogs, that would already be one step further towards improving things for Ethiopians. But that requires courage and transparency, clearly not yet on the agenda of Ethiopian politicians....

Little girl collecting left overs from the fishermen

There are huge catfish in lake KOKA and the
local fishermen make a living out of it.

Camp at lake KOKA

At each coke stop, the kids want to see and touch our bikes
with amazed looks on their face.

Laura along the road fixing a flat and already a crowd gathering

Lake Koka

Farmer's kids around our camp

Me and Peter from South Africa making our way uphill
between trucks, dust and people

Typical rolling hills full of traffic and people that we have been
riding on for hundreds and hundreds of kilometers now

During a climb in the middle of this lush jungle, I spotted this
guy sewing outside his house. It is his business.

We have been cycling in the rain the whole morning.

Kids and the rope that is supposed to mark "our" camp limits

At the lunch truck after a very difficult morning full of climbs,
rain and kids....

Adam and Dave at lunch... The reason for Adam's face being so clean..
he didn't ride today...

I wanted to take shot of the smoking hut along the road, but the
15 seconds it took to get my camera out of the waterproof bag
was just too much and by then, I was already surrounded by a
sea of Ethiopians...

Coffee bean seller on the road

No, these huts are not on fire, they just don't have a chimney,
the smoke goes through the thatch roof.

See what I mean about no privacy... This is camp, where we are
supposed to relax after a long riding day... It can eventually get
to your nervous system...

Eric, buying a mango from a street seller ate one coke stop.

In this part of Ethiopia, some houses are decorated with
wall paintings such as this one, beautiful!

Another common decoration for this region

Ethiopia is not a flat country... Today we did over 2200 meter
of climbing in a 105 km long stage... (most of which has been
at an altitude above 2300 meters)

Ethiopian notes are so dirty, on top a typical one Birr note
as you get them in the street and underneath a new one still clean...

4 comments:

Gerald, I want to thank you for all your hard work on this blog. My girlfriend Jennifer Crake (who I believe is known as "duderella" - so true!) is on the tour and I have been following the adventures daily. At times (including today), your blog is the only connection I have with her. I really appeciate all the updates and photos. They are beautiful and a way for me to keep track of her when I cannot otherwise reach her. Thank you so much for all your effort, and I look forward to reading more!

Hi Gerald, thank you so much again, for sharing your impressions of your ride through Africa with us. Meanwhile we are nearly adicted to all the different blogs of the TDA-riders. But your blog-entries are always a highlight.After reading your last entry I felt, like I have to brush away the dirt from my T-Shirt :-).But there is one thing, we have very rarely read about in all the riders blogs. Living in the camp. Maybe you find some time to write a little bit more about camplife and social interactions in between the travelling group.We hope, you don't become ill any more, you keep your EFI until Capetown and you keep up your spirit for ever.Your fansRainer and Claudia

I want to echo Jen's comments. We have a friend, Jason Becker, on the tour & this is our primary source of information about the adventure he is on! We are thrilled we found your blog.

You are a gifted man - athletically, verbally & photographically. We are certainly cheering for you & your EFI status all the way from Ohio! As we read your blog, we cringe or laugh or shake our heads in amazement at what you are enduring! And finally, your photos are stunning! We are enjoying the visual aspect of your ride immensely!

Hi Gerald, I was telling Felix on Friday that "by chance" I finished reading "The long way down" last week and it was intriguing to see how similar some of your experiences have been - their trip just much quicker ;-) Good luck - I love reading your blog. We are waiting for you - go full out to maintain your EFI status. PS. your blog is much more interesting compared to Ewan and Charlie's writing!

COMMENTS AND MESSAGES FOR GERALD

If you find difficult to send a comment to Gerald. Here is the easier way to do it: at the end of each posting you can find the word COMMENT just click on that and write you message and sign your name in the message and then send it as anonymous.

ROUTE MAP

The Tour D' Afrique Race

From Cairo to Cape Town....12 000 km, 10 countries, 96 days of cycling averaging 130 km each. 22 resting days. A total of 120 days to cross the continent and race with 40 over competitors.

This adventure race will challenge my body and mind like no other, crossing some of the most exotic places on earth, pedaling pass places like Kilimanjaro, Victoria falls, lake Malawi...

This race will also be about meeting people, sharing their lifes, their food, their culture.

Become a follower and you will receive regular updates and photos of this incredible adventure!

TRANSLATOR

ME

My name is Gerald Coniel, I am 45 y.o and I must be crazy!... But why be normal?...

HELP ME DONATE BIKES!

Each year the Tour D'Afrique organisation donates bicycles to health care associations in the countries we cross. One bike can deliver medicines up to 100 people a day. Last year 320 bikes were distributed... In 2010, we have donation ceremonies planned for Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Arusha, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Windhoek and Cape Town.

I will be handing over the bikes myself. You will see on this blog when, where, and to whom the bikes went.Join me in raising money for purchasing as many bikes as possible.www.tourdafrique.com/foundation

To participate, mail me at gconiel@andorra.ad100 euro buys one bike, it is the most efficient way to help I have ever heard. Get together with a few friends and offer one bike, make me proud! Imagine what an impact you can make with 100 euro!

MASAI STEPPE

MAP OF TANZANIA

MASAI STEPPE

SectionsFull Tour
Cairo to Cape TownPharaoh's Delight
Cairo to KhartoumThe Gorge
Khartoum to Addis AbabaMeltdown Madness
Addis Ababa to NairobiMasai Steppe
Nairobi to IringaMalawi Gin
Iringa to LilongweZambezi Zone
Lilongwe to Victoria FallsElephant Highway
Victoria Falls to WindhoekDiamond Coast
Windhoek to Cape TownMasai Steppe
Nairobi to Iringa
Start: March 14, Nairobi, Kenya
Finish: March 25, Iringa, Tanzania
Price: €950 Distance: 1,012km
Riding Days: 9 days
Resting Days: 3 days
(difficulty)
(exotic factor)
(comfort)
If scenes of Wildebeest migration and big cat kills on the Discovery or National Geographic Channel are your favourite vision of Africa, then this is the section of the Tour d'Afrique for you. One day south of Nairobi, you will arrive at the border of Tanzania and immediately spot the unmistakable Mount Kilimanjaro and its smaller sibling, Mount Meru. From there, it’s a day’s pedal to the rapidly growing and vibrant city of Arusha. As the gateway to such famous attractions as Serengeti National Park, Ngorogoro Crater, and “Kili,” Arusha is East Africa’s safari capital. Here riders are given 3 days off, affording them the opportunities to experience wild Africa at its most spectacular, to shop in the local stores and markets, or simply to rest and replenish their energies.
Heading south from Arusha, the red-cloaked Masai tribesmen will be your constant companions as you spin along roads with relatively little traffic, keeping an eye out for zebra and giraffe. At Lake Manyara you trade the tarmac for several challenging days of ascents and descents – the Masai Steppe – on a rougher gravel road, that can be treacherous in places if the rainy season has arrived. However the friendliness of the villagers, the roadside banana stands, and the sheer beauty of this unique and verdant land ensures that come rain or shine, this stretch is one of the most memorable on Tour. After passing through Tanzania’s modern capital of Dodoma, you hit pavement again shortly before the pleasant town of Iringa, which is the gateway to nearby Ruaha National Park, and a regional center of the Ismaili Islamic sect.

PLACES TRAVELLED IN KENYA

MELTDOWN MADNESS

South of Addis Ababa, the terrain changes again to rolling countryside interspersed with alkaline lakes. After passing Mount Guraghe and Lake Abaya, riders will arrive in Arba Minch (Forty Springs), which is renowned for its beautiful views, Crocodile farm, and nearby Nechisar National Park. In Yabello, you can visit the wildlife sanctuary where you might catch a glimpse at some of Africa's rarest birds such as the Prince Ruspoli Turaco. Most of the riding for this stretch is on reasonably good pavement, with one exception - a tough off-road day between Kanso and Yabello through remote villages inhabited by the Borena people.
The crossing from Ethiopia into Kenya at Moyale marks the beginning of the “meltdown” portion of this section. It takes 6 riding days to cross the unpaved lava expanse of northern Kenya’s Dida Galgalu desert, which for long stretches redefines the words bumpy and corrugated. At the midway point the market town of Marsabit, set on the slopes of an ancient volcano, offers a welcome respite before the “road” descends again into the arid lands that are home to the Samburu people and their herds of camels and cattle. Approaching Isiolo, riders rejoice at the sight of pavement, and the opportunity to have a well deserved beer or ice cream bar. From there, the route ascends and then descends the western slopes of majestic Mount Kenya, before crossing the equator in Nanyuki, which is a short day’s ride from Nairobi, East Africa’s largest city.
The “Meltdown” features some of the most diverse changes in scenery and riding conditions, from plateau to desert to savannah. Cycling the “Meltdown” in its entirety is an impressive accomplishment for any cyclist.

MAP OF ETHIOPIA

PLACES TREVELLED IN ETHIOPIA

THE GORGE

From Khartoum to the border of Ethiopia, the Tour passes through the “bread basket” of the Sudan. The countryside gradually changes as you cycle towards Ethiopia and witness the transformation from the Arabic Muslim world of northern Africa to the more tribal and traditional nature of the Horn of Africa.
Once in Ethiopia, the ride of your life begins. Ethiopia contains some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world as well as one of its most unique and ancient cultures. This section will challenge your body more than any other due to the high altitude riding, not least during the first two days in country when the Tour takes the rough but slowly improving road up onto the plateau from Metema to the Gondar road junction. The second of these days features the most climbing – some 2500 meters - of any day on tour.
The Ethiopian Highlands offer several fascinating stops including Gondar city with its 17th century castles, and Bahir Dar where you can visit ancient monasteries on islands in Lake Tana and the Blue Nile Falls. While some riders may hesitate to sample such wonders of Ethiopian cuisine as injera (flat bread), shuro wat (chick pea stew), and kitfo (steak tartare), no-one can resist the espresso and juice bars found in all the larger towns.
From a cycling standpoint, the highlight of this section will be the Blue Nile Gorge, a 1600-meter precipitous descent and ascent on a newly paved road that will test the mettle of cyclists of any caliber. Once you have conquered the Blue Nile Gorge, the beautiful terrain of the central Ethiopian plateau will whiz by as you spin towards the capital city of Addis Ababa. The descent from the eucalyptus forested hills that surround Addis into the downtown core is an experience you will not soon forget.

PHARAOH'S DELIGHT

The Tour d'Afrique starts at the legendary Pyramids of Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. As one of the wonders of the world, the Pyramids are a perfect embarkation point for the intrepid journey ahead, and the Sphinx bows its head in respect as you cycle past and bid farewell to Africa’s largest city.
After riding to the Red Sea and down the coastal highway to Safaga, you climb inland and cross the rugged Eastern desert into Upper Egypt, joining the Nile River at Qena. In Luxor, the opportunity to explore the magnificent temple of Karnak and the Valleys of the Kings and Queens is one not to be missed. From there, the Route continues south along the banks of the mother Nile towards the Aswan Dam.
From Aswan you will travel overnight by boat down Lake Nasser and past the Abu Simbel monuments into Sudan, one of the world’s most remote and least visited countries. But as you will discover, the Sudanese are some of the world’s friendliest people. For many riders this is where the “real” Africa begins. With the Nile River as companion, you will spin past minarets and through palm grove villages that have hardly changed in hundreds of years. Change is however coming more rapidly now as the sandy tracks that the Tour used to traverse the Nubian desert on are replaced by smooth Chinese funded tarmac. This section ends with a convoy ride into the Sudanese capital city of Khartoum, which sits at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers. After the heat and dust of the desert, Khartoum seems to be part oasis and part mirage, especially when one enters the air-conditioned ABSA shopping center, where milk shakes, gourmet coffees, a supermarket and even bowling can be found.
The "Pharaoh's Delight" is for those who want to feel the desert wind on their face and experience the romance of biking along one of the great rivers of the world through the lands of the Pharaohs, the Nubians and the Cush. At times you will feel like you are one of the first travelers to come upon these forgotten lands. And on a bicycle, that’s pretty much the truth.